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Zoe Smith

United Kingdom

Zoë Smith is a British travel writer and guidebook updater, who's spent the past year working as a horse trekking guide in New Zealand and backpacking around central Turkey for the upcoming Rough Guide to Turkey. With a travel resume that reads like an a-z, she's settled in rural France for the time-being, but regularly heads back to her hometown of London to get her fix of all things 'English'.

You could spend months exploring Stockholm’s vast 30,000 island archipelago, but if you’d prefer a change of scenery there’s plenty to see in the surrounding area, including these popular day trip destinations.

With so many sights within easy reach of the Scottish capital, there’s no excuse for only staying in Edinburgh. Whether you want to explore medieval castles or hike in the glens, here are 5 of the best day trips from Edinburgh.

With its vast stretch of Mediterranean coastline dotted with historic sites and sun-drenched beaches, its not surprising that Turkey remains one of the most popular cruise destinations. Whether you’re drifting around Europe’s key sights, exploring the neighboring Greek islands or taking an all-encompassing Mediterranean cruise, Turkey’s wide variety of scenery, historic sites and creative cuisine, means you’ll never be short of something to do.

Istanbul might have a reputation for its cosmopolitan population and increasingly modern attitude, but the heart of the city still beats in the historic old town of Sultanahmet, located on the European peninsula bounded by the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. First founded by Greek colonists in 667BC, the area of Sultanahmet was once the walled city of Istanbul known as ‘Constantinople’ and today the peninsula is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and teeming with examples of Byzantine and Ottoman era architecture.

Famed as an international banking center and home to the ‘most expensive shopping street in Europe’, Zurich isn’t the place to bag a bargain, but there are still plenty of budget friendly things to do.

A sprawling archipelago jutting out into the Baltic sea, Sweden’s capital makes a dramatic location for a walking tour, but if you want to make the most of your sightseeing time, here are a few tips for getting around in Stockholm.

England’s largest horticultural extravaganza, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, previously known as the Great Spring Show, is one of the world’s most famous flower shows, drawing in gardening enthusiasts from all over the globe. The annual festival is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and held each May in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital, where a series of spectacular gardens and floral exhibits are displayed to dramatic effect.

Along with the vintage red telephone boxes, black taxi-cabs and the red-suited Royal guards with their towering bearskin hats, the double decker bus, traditionally painted in fire-engine red, has become one of the most famous symbols of London. While the classic red versions are now more commonly found emblazoned across souvenir mugs and key rings than chugging along the streets (although there are still some in action), the double-decker bus is still one of the most popular methods of transport for Londoner’s to get from A to B.

One of Turkey’s oldest festivals dating back almost 500 years, the Manisa Mesir festival is held each March in the Aegean town of Manisa. Organized in celebration of the region’s famous Mesir paste, a specially blended paste or gum renowned for its healing properties, the festival is the town’s biggest event, drawing thousands of Turkish and international visitors.

With dozens of castles set in spectacular locations around the country, there’s no excuse for not paying a visit to at least one of Ireland’s historic landmarks. Whether you fancy staying in a luxury castle hotel or taking part in an atmospheric medieval banquet, make sure you explore at least one of Ireland’s 5 most beautiful castles.

Switzerland‘s most iconic vineyards, tiered along the banks of the shimmering Lake Geneva and boasting 830 hectares of vines basking in the Mediterranean climate, Lavaux makes an idyllic location for wine tasting. The famous terraced vineyards of Lavaux are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site; as celebrated for their unique beauty as they are for the world-renowned Chasselas grapes produced in the region.

For a breath-taking view over Manchester, it’s hard to beat the Cloud 23 bar, on the 23rd floor of the city’s tallest skyscraper, the Beetham Tower. The landmark tower, clocking in at 168 meters, is the highest outside of London and features 47 floors, including a 22-floor Hilton hotel, private apartments and of course, the bar with the best view in the city – Cloud 23.

Sprawling off the northwest coast of Scotland, the vast archipelago of the Hebrides Islands is made up of over 500 islands and islets, divided into the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Inhabited since the Mesolithic period, the islands’ unique cultures and inimitable topography have long inspired visiting artists and geologists, offering up some of the world’s wildest and most untamed scenery.

Marking the northernmost point of Denmark, the jutting peninsula of Skagen is one of the country’s biggest attractions, once a popular haunt for artists in the 19th century and retaining its vibrant cultural scene today.

A popular day trip from Edinburgh, just 15km from the city center, the majestic ruins of Linlithgow Palace hold a special place in Scotland‘s history, serving as a royal residence for Scottish monarchs throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.

Germany’s biggest Baroque palace and one of Munich’s most impressive tourist attractions, the Schloss Nymphenburg, or Nymphenburg Palace, is reachable by tram from the city center and makes a spectacular addition to any Munich tour itinerary.

With exchange rates plummeting, Istanbul isn’t quite the bargain destination it used to be, but those on budget will still find plenty of opportunities to stretch out their dollars. From marveling at the city’s famous minarets to taking advantage of the legendary Turkish hospitality, here are some ideas for free things to do in Istanbul.

It’s the largest single site university in the UK, home to 39,000 students; commonly rated as one of the UK’s top Universities behind the world famous Oxford and Cambridge and ranks as one of the top 25 research facilities in the world. But if all that doesn’t convince you to pay a visit to the University of Manchester, a glimpse of the stunning Victorian architecture will surely lure you in.

An alpine paradise for lovers of the outdoors and home to some of Europe’s glitziest ski resorts, Switzerland is like an all-natural adventure playground for children and the perfect destination for an action packed family holiday. Here are some of the best places to go with kids in Switzerland.

Whether you’re escaping the stifling summer heat or just looking to get out of the city, there are plenty of great day trips to take from Buenos Aires. From galloping across the steppe with Argentina‘s gauchos to floating through the idyllic Tigre Delta, here are a few ideas to get you started.

The self-proclaimed shopping capital of Switzerland, Zurich’s vast range of shops and markets draw in crowds from all over Europe but to get the most out of your spending spree, here’s a quick guide to where to go and what to buy.

You could spend weeks exploring London’s myriad tourist attractions, but with so many sights just a short bus or train ride away, there’s no excuse to only stay in the city. Whether you want to hit the beach or explore England’s historic towns, here are some of the best day trips to take from London.

Turkey’s third largest city and a popular cruise destination along the Aegean Coast, the modern metropolis of Izmir is surrounded by a wealth of historic landmarks that make it one of the country’s most visited destinations.

From the eerie wilderness of the Yorkshire moors as brought to life by the Bronte sisters’ novels, to the medieval architecture lining the cobbled streets of York, the northern England county of Yorkshire is one of the best reasons to leave London.

Whether you’re traveling Dublin on a tight budget or blew your travel funds on one of the city’s notorious pub-crawls, there are plenty of ways to explore the Irish capital for free. Here are some ideas for exploring Dublin without spending a cent.

With nearly 3,000 hectares spanning grassy plateaus, dense forests and heather-smattered marshlands, Connemara National Park makes a popular destination for hikers looking to experience rugged Irish countryside at its best. The park, one of 6 in the country, lies in Country Galway, West Ireland, sprawling along the foothills of the famous Twelve Bens mountain range (Benbaun, Bencullagh and Benbrack all lie within the park boundaries).

With world class skiing and some of Europe’s highest observation decks and landscapes that were made to photograph, there are plenty of things you should do in Switzerland, but now you’ve filled up your itinerary, here are a few final things to consider.

Munich’s hard partying reputation centers around the annual Oktoberfest festival, with the city’s famous beer gardens pumping a steady stream of German beer, but if it’s heaving dance floors and blaring music that gets you going, Kunstpark, or Kunstpark Ost (KPO) is the place to be.

Exploding with color and pungent aromas, Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar, or Egyptian Spice Market (so-called as the spices were originally imported from Egypt) is one of the city’s most vibrant and most-visited attractions.

Istanbul’s Çiçek Pasajı, or Flower Passage, is the most renowned example of the city’s ornate late 19th and early 20th century arcades, beautifully restored to its Ottoman-era glory. Running between Istikal Caddesi and Sahne Sok in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul, the L-shaped passageway was once the courtyard of the historic Cité de Péra building, built in 1876. The building was later purchased by the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sait Paşa, who renamed it the Sait Paşa Passage, but the modern name of Çiçek Pasajı was adopted in the 1920s in ode to the Russian flower sellers that lined the passageway throughout the war years.

Encompassing an incredible 1.4 billion acres (500,000 sq km) and making up more than half of the world’s remaining rainforest, the vast Amazon rainforest is teeming with natural wonders. The sheer size of the Amazon basin – larger than Europe and stretching over 9 countries – is a marvel in itself, but it’s the incredible variety of wildlife that remains the region’s biggest draw card.

A popular day trip from Buenos Aires, the riverside town of Tigre is the gateway to the idyllic Tigre Delta region, one of the world’s largest natural deltas stretching over 5,400 square miles. Named after the American Jaguars that once frequented the area, the Tigre Delta is the meeting point of the Paraná river, South America’s second longest river, after the Amazon, and the Río de la Plata estuary, which bridges the borders between Buenos Aires and Uruguay.

With its original construction dating between 1204 and 1220, Dublin Castle encompasses some of the city’s oldest surviving structures, although today much of its façade dates back to 18th century restorations.

A creative hub where London’s flair for the eclectic is center stage, Camden has long nurtured its reputation as the city’s most rock’n’roll district and its unique markets are as popular among London’s mohawked youths as they are with international tourists.

At the heart of Scotland’s world renowned Scottish Highlands region, the Cairngorms National Park is not only the largest national park in the UK, but is home to the UK’s highest Mountain range—the Cairngorms.

England‘s food has earned itself a reputation for blandness over the years, but with historic recipes dating back to the Victorian times, inventive use of staple ingredients and some notoriously wacky names (think ‘bubble and squeak’ or ‘spotted dick pudding’), traditional English cuisine has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Here are six of the nation’s most beloved dishes to get you started.

With its snow-blanketed landscapes, mountaintop castles and lush meadows, Bavaria has long inspired fairytales and if you’re looking for romantic destinations, Munich has plenty more strings to its cupid’s bow than Oktoberfest parties and beer gardens.

Scotland’s vibrant capital does its hard-partying reputation proud as the host for a number of important Scottish festivals and celebrations (including the legendary 4-day New Year’s celebrations, known as Hogmanay), but even the quietest days in the city offer plenty to see and do. Exploring the cobbled streets of the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, climbing the sprawling peaks of Edinburgh’s Seven Hills and visiting the city’s many museums and galleries could easily fill up a week’s itinerary, but if you’ve only got one day in the city, here are some ideas for making the most of it.

With over 30 museums, there’s a museum for anything and everyone in Dublin, with some of Europe’s best history, art and literature exhibitions, as well as some more unusual offerings (yes, there’s even a Leprechaun museum).

Whatever comes to mind when you think of a Hookah cafes in Istanbul – groups of Middle Eastern men getting high on smoky inhalations in shadowy teahouses or the rainbow of peculiar looking vials cluttering the stalls of the Grand Bazaar – you’ll likely find plenty to fuel the stereotype.

At the heart of the famed Lavaux wine-growing region, the town of Vevey, Switzerland, has a prime location on the banks of Lake Geneva, encircled by the area’s famous tiered vineyards and snow-capped Alps.

Whether you’re in town to catch a football game or simply to explore one of northern England’s most vibrant cities, here are a few tips for getting around Manchester.

1. Explore on foot
Many of the city center’s major attractions are easily reachable by foot and pounding the pavements not only saves money on transport costs but makes a great way to discover the city’s fine architecture. Pick up a free map from the tourist office or train station and hit the streets.

With its myriad of international cuisine and cutting edge restaurants, London is rapidly gaining a reputation as a gourmet hotspot, but food, as with everything in the city, often comes with a hefty price tag.

You can’t get more romantic than the resting place of Saint Valentine himself (relics of the patron Saint are located in the Whitefriar Street Church) and Dublin offers the perfect backdrop for a romantic city break. Here are a few ideas for getting in the mood in Ireland‘s capital.

Whether you take yours as a potent shot of Italian espresso or a cream-topped Starbucks mocha sprinkled with cinnamon, coffee—the focal point of Zurich’s Johann Jacobs Coffee Museum—is undeniably one of the world’s most popular beverages.

In a country renowned for its sweeping glens and vast moorlands, scaling Scotland‘s highest mountain makes a welcome change of pace for hikers, as well as affording some spectacular views from its summit.

While the Northern Hemisphere turns up the central heating and gears up for a white Christmas, Buenos Aires is experiencing its annual heat wave, with sweltering temperatures sending many porteños (city dwellers) to the cooler climes of Argentina‘s coast.

The birthplace of the sultriest dance in ballroom and the modern-day party capital of South America, Buenos Aires’ bucket loads of Latino charm make it a prime spot for those looking for romance. Whether you choose to seek out the old world romance of the tango halls or pay a visit to the city’s surprisingly non-seedy ‘Love Hotels’ (rentable by the hour), there are a myriad of ways to get loved up in Buenos Aires.

A popular UK holiday destination, the Isle of Wight lies around 6 miles off the south coast of England and is reachable by ferry from the southern ports of Lymington, Southampton and Portsmouth. One of the largest of England’s many isles, at 24 miles across, the island first made a name for itself in the Victorian era, becoming a fashionable seaside resort for the upper class.

As Scotland’s capital and main transport hub, Edinburgh’s historic buildings, vast green spaces and steep cobblestone streets make a fascinating backdrop to set your sightseeing to. Whether you’ve only got one day in the city or have plenty of time to explore, here are a few tips for getting around in Edinburgh.

Exploring the Amazon rainforest might be a bucket list favorite, but with such a wildly changing environment (water levels rise and fall up to 40 feet throughout the year) and extreme weather (250 annual days of rain coupled with stifling humidity), planning the best time to visit can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking to camp out in the jungle or cruise along the river, here are a few tips for making the most of the seasons.

With its labyrinth of rambling cobblestone streets, ancient stone-brick houses and a city center encircled by defense walls dating back to the 13th century; few places in England so perfectly embody the word ‘quaint’, as the northern city of York.

While visitors to Dublin flock to marvel at the historic grounds of Dublin Castle, few take the time to wander the castle gardens, a pocket of tranquility despite their central location, and a popular picnic spot for locals in the know.

Costa Rica is full of nature reserves and wildlife parks, but one of the most popular is the Carara National Park, an easy day trip just 2 hours drive from San Jose and a key attraction for cruise travelers docking at the coastal resort of Puerto Caldera.

Whether you want to sip champagne overlooking the London skyline or party the night away on a River cruise, you’ll plenty are of ways to impress your lover in the British capital. Here are a few ideas for romantic things to do in London.

With its unique setting straddling Europe and Asia, vibrant bazaars and myriad of important historical and religious sights, it’s no surprise that Istanbul is one of the most popular Mediterranean cruise destinations and there’s so much to see that many cruise itineraries offer a 2 day stay.

Whether you’re navigating the masses of beer-swilling revelers in Munich for the annual Oktoberfest or dodging the tourist crowds on a sightseeing excursion, here are a few tips for getting around in the Bavarian capital.

Rolling meadows, vast lakes and forested mountains; it’s not hard to imagine how Wicklow earned the nickname ‘the garden of Ireland’. The East coast county is picture-book Ireland at its best, full of quiet rural villages and beach-side hamlets.

A hugely popular winter destination thanks to its vibrant Christmas markets and dazzling New Year’s celebrations, Zurich‘s unbeatable transport connections make it a great base for checking out Switzerland’s legendary ski resorts, many of which are reachable by train.

Sprawled along the abandoned port of the Riachuelo River in the south of Buenos Aires, the neighborhood – or barrio – of La Boca is a pocket of old age charm, once the first stop-off for European settlers in Argentina and now a popular haunt of bohemian artists, tango dancers and the city’s youth.

With the northern highlands enveloped in snow and the cities ablaze with Christmas lights and fireworks, winter makes for an atmospheric time to visit Scotland, as well as being one of the cheapest times to travel.

With its vast plains brushed with wildflowers, rambling hilltops and dense woodlands, England is a country tailor-made for hiking – so much so that each year millions of hikers happily don their waterproofs and brave the notoriously changeable weather to enjoy the views.

With freezing temperatures, wind-swept seas and frost gathering on its many minarets, Istanbul is nothing if not atmospheric in the winter months: and with fewer tourists hitting the city sights, it’s a great time to explore. Make a beeline for the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Dolmabahce Palace, normally rammed with tourists, climb the Galata Tower without the dreaded queue or hunt out some Christmas bargains in the Grand Bazaar, where fewer tourists means greater haggling potential. Winter is also a great time for shopping in Istanbul with many of the city’s malls and shops along Istikal Caddesi holding sales in the run up to Christmas and throughout January.

Few countries can lay claim to such stunning winter landscapes as Switzerland, and the country’s traditional mountain villages have long been the destination of choice for those with a yearning for snow.

Whether you’re pushed for time or just want an easy way to cruise around the sights, Hop-on Hop-Off bus tours have become a popular way to explore Dublin, with local guides providing plenty of entertaining facts and background history along the way.

Whether you prefer quaffing champagne over the glittering Lake Zurich or dancing in to the early hours at the city’s mammoth street party, the ‘Silvester Zauber’, or ‘New Year’s Magic’, is the biggest event on the Zurich calendar.

Any excuse to party in Buenos Aires is a good one, but the New Year is a surprisingly low-key event in the Argentine capital, with many porteños (city dwellers) escaping the city heat for the countryside and a number of bars and clubs closing their doors over the sweltering summer months.

From the globally famous pillars of Stonehenge to the world’s largest stone circle in Avebury, England has a number of enigmatic historic sites that fascinate archaeologists, astronomers and tourists alike.

With sweltering temperatures and not a snowflake in sight, Christmastime is a little different in Peru. That doesn’t stop the natives from getting in the festive spirit, though – Christmas light displays take over the city streets, American-style Christmas trees are erected in plazas and Santa Claus pops up at parties all over the country. There’s even a scheme whereby volunteers dish out free hot chocolate and cake to the poor on Christmas Eve.

Separated by a mere sliver of Atlantic Ocean – the Rio de la Plata, or ‘river of money’ in local lingo – neighboring Uruguay makes a popular day trip from Buenos Aires. Daily ferries run from the Argentine side to the nearest port town of Colonia del Sacramento, but high speed ferries also run the jaunt to the capital, Montevideo, further along the coast.

True to its reputation as Turkey’s most cosmopolitan and eclectic city, Istanbul certainly knows how to party, effortlessly blending the traditional with the modern for one enormous New Year’s Eve street bash.

With freezing temperatures and pouring rains, Scotland might not be most people’s first choice to spend the festive season, but with some of the most riotous New Year’s celebrations in Europe, it’s well worth braving the changeable weather. In the month leading up to Christmas, the country’s major cities host a series of events and activities, with pop-up ice rinks, huge Ferris wheels, carnivals and Christmas markets.

From singing Christmas trees and swimming Santas to world-class shopping, Zurich might be one of Europe’s most unique places to celebrate the festive season, and there’s a host of fun events to keep visitors busy over yuletide.

With its reputation for gloomy horizons and relentless drizzle, it’s easy to see why London might be boycotted during the winter season, but Londoner’s know that the most atmospheric time to discover the capital is by braving the cold.

Despite its idyllic country surroundings, the West midlands city of Coventry is marred by its gloomy industrial facade, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find the city teeming with historic charm.

While the city might be most famous for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations, Munich’s vast array of museums boast a reputation to rival Berlin’s, with world class art and ground-breaking exhibitions drawing in the crowds.

The Scottish capital might be more famous for its epic four-day street party in celebration of Hogmany, the Scottish New Year, but Edinburgh also hosts some of Europe’s most lively Christmas celebrations so head to the city in time to soak up the Christmas spirit.

With almost as many museums in the city as pubs, Dublin’s reputation as a cultural center remains secure, but the best thing about the city’s impressive art and science exhibits is that a huge number of them are absolutely free.

Ranking high on Ireland’s list of natural wonders, the Gap of Dunloe (meaning “Lóich’s stronghold”), is one of the best places in Western Europe to experience a glacial valley, and it’s hard not to be enamored by the glittering river and immense rocky landscape.

With the UK’s biggest festival, Glastonbury, on its biennial hiatus, its up to the Leeds and Reading Festivals to fly the flag for England’s rock scene in 2012 and with a line-up that reads like a who’s who of the alternative music industry, it looks likely that they’ll live up to demand.

You might be more concerned about how to get to the sights or where to enjoy your first pint of Guinness, but for those visiting the Emerald Isle for the first time, here are a few things to consider before hitting the streets of Dublin.

It’s impossible to visit Dublin without having at least a taste of the country’s national brew – Guinness – but for serious beer lovers, the city has a whole host of places that will broaden your beer-drinking education (and your beer belly).

With its many renowned National museums and a number of culturally significant literary haunts (the Chester Beatty Library Museum and the Dublin Writer’s Museum are both well worth a visit) it would be easy to overlook the alternatives, but if you fancy something a little left-of-the-center, look no further than these 5 delightfully odd but undeniably entertaining museums.

While not as ubiquitous as fish’n’chips or afternoon tea, Britain’s love affair with Indian food is so renowned that there are over 7,000 Indian restaurants in the UK and curry has become one of the country’s most popular adopted dishes.

With its reputation as South America’s most gay-friendly city and a pioneer of gay rights in the Latino community, it’s no surprise that Buenos Aires’ annual Gay Pride Festival is the hottest ticket on the gay calendar.

With its rich literary history, landmark architecture and vibrant pub culture, Ireland’s capital has plenty to entice visitors to its shores, but with prices on par with the rest of Western Europe, a trip to Dublin can soon run up a hefty bill.

The image of a snow-covered Victorian London as immortalized in Charles Dickens’s famous novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ has long been the blueprint for English Christmas traditions, with carol singers, Christmas decorations and plates of freshly baked mince pies.

London has long been the destination of choice for avid shoppers and with its reputation for thrifty fashions and vibrant street markets, so it’s no surprise that the capital offers bargain hunters some of the world’s best flea markets to rummage through.

Reportedly the most haunted capital city in the world, London’s stately Victorian buildings, cobbled backstreets and elaborate graveyards lend the city an eerie backdrop, perfect for spine-tingling ghost stories and gruesome legends.

Those unaccustomed to the British weather would be forgiven for thinking that England rains non-stop once the summer months are over, but there are few times as delightful as autumn to be in the city of London.

All eyes have been glued to the British capital this year, with the epic Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the upcoming Olympic games thrusting the city firmly into the limelight. Of course, London has long been renowned for its cosmopolitan population, rich history and trailblazing status in art, fashion and music, but this year the city is set to reclaim its ranking as one of Europe’s most popular destinations.

Immortalized on film as the setting for Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ frolics in the 1999 eponymous rom-com, Notting Hill (an area encompassing Ladbroke Grove, Portobello Road and parts of North Kensington) has lingered on to-do lists ever since, but there’s far more to this cosmopolitan hub than its sojourn on the big screen suggests.

As quintessentially British as the Queen or the red double-decker bus, ordering a pint at one of London’s historic drinking dens is a right of passage for all visitors to the big smoke, so to get you started, here are 10 of the best pubs in the capital.

1. The Artillery Arms, the City

With its stately dark wood and stone interiors, this traditional British pub checks off all the boxes with a cozy, open-wood fire for the winter months, a menu packed with perfectly assembled pub fare and a prime location right on the edge of the city.

Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our London Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in London.

The city streets are no place to spend a sunny summer’s afternoon, so grab a Frisbee, a few mates and a picnic and join the locals at your nearest park – London has no end of green spaces, but here’s a rundown of the best.

With its rich, religious history, it’s unsurprising that the Irish capital is home to some fine churches. Walking tours are also becoming a popular way for visitors to experience the city’s impressive religious architecture.

With so many famous landmarks, world-class museums and famous shopping streets, London is a city that you could spend weeks exploring, but if all you have is a mere 24 hours, there are still plenty of chances to sample the city’s highlights.